Mum learns son, 2, is dying in a phone call after she nipped out of the house

Carter Walsh was killed in a horror accident at his home in Greater Manchester despite paramedics' best efforts to save him

A mother has spoken about when she found out her two-year-old son had tragically died following an accident at their home in Greater Manchester. In a heartbreaking incident, 38-year-old Samantha Walsh from Wigan learnt of her son Carter Walsh's grave state when she received a call from her niece.

Samantha was initially informed that Carter had "banged his head", but she soon discovered the horrific truth, reports the Mirror. A marble fireplace had collapsed on him after a section "snapped" at their home. Samantha hurried home to find emergency services attempting to save young Carter on Wednesday afternoon, but he sadly passed away later in hospital.

Speaking for the first time since the devastating event, mum-of-four, Samantha, described her son as the "apple of our eyes". "He was my best friend," she said. "He was well-loved, not just by his family but by anybody that met him. He broke the hearts of everybody he met... He was the apple of our eyes."

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Earlier that fateful Wednesday, Carter had spent what was described as the "best day ever" with family members. He even got the chance to meet his grandmother's horse and play with his cousin and aunt Natalie Prescott, 35, while Samantha was away. But less than 30 minutes after Samantha left, the catastrophe happened, prompting a swift response from ambulance services.

Describing the fatal incident, Natalie said: "The fireplace, it just collapsed in the middle. It was giving and it's just collapsed and it's just come forward. It was a marble fireplace." At the time of the accident, the landlord was present, working on a boiler issue, and immediately called 999, with paramedics rushing over to the scene.

Natalie's daughter then called Samantha. Samantha recalled: "She was very calm at first and she just said: 'You need to come home, Carter has banged his head.’ I don’t know if she was doing that to keep me calm. I was waiting for a taxi, and I was on my way home, and then I just kept ringing her. And every time I rang her, I could tell it was serious. She started to panic because she knew I was on my way back."

Samantha said her mum, who is a nurse, had warned her to prepare for the worst after they found out that Carter would not be airlifted to hospital. She added: "They said, 'We're going to Wigan [hospital].' I knew then, there was nothing... because they cancelled the air ambulance. My mum is a nurse at the hospital. So she knew as well. So she just said, 'Prepare yourself when you get to the hospital.'"

Devastated Samantha said when she saw Carter on the ward, he had looked 'peaceful' and there were no signs that he had suffered a life-threatening injury. She said: "It was just one head injury."

"But he just looked so peaceful... There was no bruising or anything to his face. The cut was covered over. There were no visible injuries. He's had loads of checks at the hospital. They've said he had been healthy [prior to the accident]. Everything was fine."

Samantha said that when Carter was born, he had briefly been looked after by foster carers before she took full charge of him. She was struggling to come to terms with her life now the little lad had passed away.

Samantha said: "I had to fight for him back out of foster care. I did that, I got him back, and I've spent every day with him since. He's been with me now nearly two years, obviously. He was my best mate."

"I've been back to the house. I couldn't stay there. I went to stay with my sisters. I went back yesterday to clean up, obviously, because there was blood."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said yesterday that they were supporting Samantha and her family. He said: "At around 2.15pm on Wednesday September 18, officers were called to reports regarding a concern for welfare of a child on Fisher Close, Wigan."

"Sadly, despite the best efforts of paramedics, a two-year-old boy later died at hospital. Enquiries are ongoing and officers are supporting the family at this time."

A spokesman for North West Ambulance Service added: "We attended an incident at a private address following a 999 call at 14.06. An ambulance, air ambulance, response vehicle, advanced paramedic attended. A patient was taken to hospital by road."

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